Ingredients

• I cup dhal
• 2 cups water
• Good pinch salt
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• Piece of ginger about size of 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 0.5 tsp mustard seed
• Few curry leaves, whole, if available
• 2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• 0.5 tsp turmeric (haldi)
• 2 green chilies, sliced (or less depending on your taste)
• Fresh coriander, chopped
• 0.5 tsp Fernandes special spice mix
• Oil to fry

Method

1. If using the small red lentils no need to soak, for other types of lentils soak at least a couple of hours or overnight before starting., or this also works using a can or two of chickpeas
2. Boil lentils with water and salt until softish and the texture you like – anything from fairly thick to soupy is fine
3. Whilst lentils are cooking fry onion until slightly coloured, add in the garlic, ginger mustard seeds and curry leaves, stir well, mustard seeds will pop.
4. Add the tomatoes and fry in for a few minutes until mixture looks a bit paste-like.
5. By this time the lentils should be soft, if not turn off the onion mix until they are.
6. Add in the lentils, turmeric and chilies, stir well, add a bit more water and allow to cook 15 minutes or so. You can add as much water as you like depending on whether you like the dhal thick or thin.
7. Towards end of cooking add in the fresh coriander leaves, the special Fernandes spice mix and salt to taste.
8. You can keep this a couple of hours before serving to develop flavour but if you do this add the coriander on reheating.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 piece ginger (size of 1 clove garlic) finely chopped
• 1 tsp coriander powder or seeds (dhaniya)
• .5 tsp cumin powder or seeds (jeera)
• .5 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1 small carton coconut cream/coconut milk
• Tamarind water (see details below)
• 2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• 2 green chilies, sliced.
• Salt to taste
• Oil to fry
• 1 tsp special Fernandes spice mix
• Tamarind water: you can either buy dried tamarind fruit (grayish brown pods with sticky brown fruit inside) or plaques of dried tamarind (sticky brown stuff). Take a pod and remove the brown fruit OR take a good tug/pinch (about 2cm cubed) of dried tamarind, soak in hot water for a few minutes, sieve to get rid of the pulp/seeds. This is tamarind water.
• Whatever you are using to curry (fish, chicken etc) – cut up appropriately

Method

1. Fry the onion, garlic and ginger until slightly coloured and soft.
2. Add in the coriander, cumin, turmeric and fry for a few seconds
3. Add the coconut cream, stir and cook gently for a few minutes
4. Slowly add the tamarind water, stirring, and chopped tomatoes, stirring and allow to cook a few minutes. It may curdle a bit – does not matter, will not affect the taste.
5. Add in whatever you want to curry and cook appropriately.
6. Add salt to taste, the Fernandes spice mix, a pinch of sugar and green chilies to taste. You can put chilli powder in with the other dried spices at the beginning of cooking if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 piece ginger (size of 1 clove garlic) finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• Few curry leaves if available
• 1 tsp coriander powder or seeds (dhaniya)
• .5 tsp cumin powder or seeds (jeera)
• .5 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1 green chili, sliced.
• Good handful fresh coriander
• Salt to taste
• Oil to fry
• 1 tsp special Fernandes spice mix
• 2 cups potatoes, cut into cubes

Method

1. Fry the onion, garlic and ginger until slightly coloured and soft.
2. Add in the mustard seeds and fry until they start to pop, add curry leaves, coriander, cumin, turmeric and fry for a few seconds
3. Add in potato cubes and a little water, mix well and cook slowly until the potatoes are soft.
4. Add salt to taste, the Fernandes spice mix, a pinch of sugar, green chilies and fresh coriander You can put chilli powder in with the other dried spices at the beginning of cooking if you prefer.